I have blogged about this issue before and the very strong evidence for hypnotherapy as an effective treatment of the problem of bedwetting.

It can be a real issue for children who want to sleep over at friends’ houses, go on school trips and enjoy all the usual busy socialising that children these days like to get involved in. I have found that it can also profoundly affect general levels of confidence in children.

This article in Natural News highlights an excellent 2004 study on hypnotherapy and bedwetting – or chronic nocturnal enuresis, to use the official medical terminology. It says:

‘In 2004, a study appeared in The Journal of Norwegian Medical Association
about using hypnotherapy to treat patients with chronic nocturnal
enuresis. The study consisted of 12 boys ranging in age from 8 to 16.
All of the boys had been diagnosed with primary nocturnal enuresis and
four were also diagnosed with diurnal enuresis (daytime accidental
urination). All 12 reported an average of 0 dry nights per week. The 12
participants also had a family history of bedwetting. The participants
also had tried other forms of treatments such as the bedwetting alarm
and medication.

The 12 patients underwent a medical exam prior to participating in the
research study. The boys had between 2 and 8 hypnotherapy sessions as
part of the study. They also practiced self-hypnosis on their own for
about one month after their hypnosis sessions.

Two follow-ups were performed at 3 months and one year intervals after the
hypnotherapy sessions. During both follow-ups, 9 out of the 12
participants reported 7 out of 7 dry nights per week. The researchers
referred the 3 patients who continued to experience bedwetting to seek
additional medical or behavioral treatment.

The researchers concluded that hypnotherapy is an effective treatment for boys
experiencing chronic bedwetting. They also recommend that hypnotherapy
be part of the treatment for boys diagnosed with nocturnal enuresis.’

Source: Diseth,T. H. & Vandick, I.H. (2004). Hypnotherapy in the Treatment of
Refractory Nocturnal Enuresis. The Journal of Norwegian Medical
Association, 124(4). 488-91.

You know, as I write this, I can’t help thinking that if we had evidence four years ago that hypnotherapy is a recommended part of any treatment for this probem, why don’t more children now have access to it more readily?

I guess there is still a lot of dissemination and awareness-raising to do. Hopefully, this article will make a small contribution to that.